Chapter 61 The Malleability of Human Nature

Hearing Zhuang Lin's invitation, the four of them were slightly stunned at first, their minds still dwelling on the concepts of nasal orifices and demonic Qi, before they instantly reacted and subconsciously looked at one another.

Then, one of them was the first to snap back to reality, immediately standing up and cupping his fists in a salute.

"We are willing to follow you, Senior!" "We are ready to accompany Senior!"

"Count me in too!" "Same here!"

The others also chimed in with agreement one after another. The opportunity to uphold chivalry and justice alongside such a mighty expert was something they could only dream of!

"Very well, you agreed readily enough. You have guts!"

Zhuang Lin offered this brief praise, and the four who had just saluted, already stirred by a sudden surge of martial fervor, became even more excited.

"Since Senior thinks highly of us, we certainly cannot disgrace ourselves!"

"Indeed. Favored by Senior's regard and having nowhere better to go, this Lu shall do his utmost!"

"As long as you don't mind us holding you back!" "That's right, exactly! Senior possesses supreme skill; since he honors us with his grace, we must live up to it, ha哈哈哈!"

"Besides, with Senior here, what do we have to fear?" "Indeed, ha哈哈哈! Who knows, we might even make a name for ourselves in the pugilistic world!"

Zhuang Lin's lips curved slightly. Before he could finish what he wanted to say, these men probably had no real inkling of the dangers involved in slaying demons, nor did they show any hesitation or internal struggle in their minds. He reined in his smile to throw a bucket of cold water on their enthusiasm.

"Is that so?"

Although Zhuang Lin's voice was calm, it effortlessly overrode the excitement of the group, causing them to instinctively fall silent.

"What is it, Senior?" "Do you have any further conditions for us?" "We were merely joking, and had no intention of riding on your prestige to achieve fame......"

"Yes, Senior, please do not fault us. We...... spoke rather recklessly and will be mindful in the future!"

Zhuang Lin smiled and shook his head.

"You have misunderstood. Am I, Zhuang, a person of petty calculations? It is simply that seeing you beside yourselves with joy, I fear you do not yet fully understand the perils involved. To spare you any future regret, I speak thus!"

Without pausing, Zhuang Lin looked out over the expanse of the river and continued.

"My arrival in Wuling was a timely coincidence. When you saw me vanquish the demon, you assumed it was an effortless feat, little realizing that I had seized the initiative...... Furthermore, that demon was of shallow cultivation and already suffering from old injuries, making it relatively easy to handle......"

"Yet those others—each of them may have already gained true climate and supernatural power, utterly incomparable to the creature we faced this time......"

Imperceptibly, Zhuang Lin's tone grew colder and more oppressive, giving the four men the illusory sensation of a faint, suffocating pressure—light, yet making it difficult to draw breath.

"So-called demons awaken spiritual wisdom and cultivate by borrowing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. In themselves, they possess no absolute notions of good and evil. However, the malignant spirits we are going to hunt this time are those that genuinely feed on human flesh and blood. Every single one of them has harmed numerous lives and wields formidable demonic arts...... Even for me, it will likely be a narrow escape from death......"

Zhuang Lin withdrew his gaze from the river surface and looked at the four men one by one.

At this moment, Zhuang Lin not only infused his words with pressure, but a faint baleful aura also overflowed from the wooden sword in his hand, stirring the minds of the four and awakening fear that blossomed into phantoms...

This could be considered a simple application of illusion arts, though it was not a technique crafted by Zhuang Lin himself.

Because ordinary people find it extremely difficult to maintain a state of thoughtless, ethereal emptiness, let alone prevent thoughts from arising and lingering, as long as one planted the seed, their own minds would fill in the rest of the illusion, thereby conjuring phantoms from within...

Although Zhuang Lin was well aware that his foundation was not yet deep enough, he nonetheless held himself in high regard to a certain degree.

Much like this utilization of illusory arts—though still rudimentary—Zhuang Lin believed that illusions born from the heart constituted the fundamental Dao of illusion, vastly superior to deliberately fabricated ones.

"For instance, had I not appeared this time, what would have become of the four of you facing that creature alone?"

With this simple prompt, the four men subconsciously began to trace the trajectory of such a possibility. They had seen the great macaque and had fought against it; if Senior Zhuang had not been in the Ten-Mile Pavilion on that day......

A demon appears...... the four of them panic...... a desperate battle...... injuries...... miserable screams...... picked off one by one......

Within their hearts, seemingly reasonable imaginations spontaneously took root. Beads of fine sweat broke out on one man's forehead, another's lips trembled as his face drained of color, while a third began to breathe heavily......

Zhuang Lin was already a master of the True Person realm. When he had previously cast a spell to open their nasal orifices, he had simultaneously touched the spiritual perception of ordinary mortals. Combined with the fact that these ordinary men harbored no defenses against him, the effect of inducing inner illusions far exceeded expectations.

The Taiji diagram of Yin and Yang rotated within Zhuang Lin's eyes, seemingly capable of perceiving the deepest fears hidden in human hearts. Judging from the reactions of the four, the time was ripe.

"Even so, do the four of you still wish to accompany me?"

As Zhuang Lin's voice faded, the illusions in the minds of the four gradually subsided and returned to normal. Although everything that had just transpired felt exceptionally protracted, looking back, it had amounted to no more than an instantaneous association of thoughts.

Yet this time, unlike their eager assent earlier, the four fell into a heavy silence.

Some among them had just witnessed their own deaths—fighting to the very last man before being pounced upon by the demonic beast and torn apart alive...

As the four remained silent for a long time, a flicker of doubt arose in Zhuang Lin's heart. Had he misjudged the boundary and gone too far?

Though he thought thus, Zhuang Lin was in no rush. He simply stood quietly, waiting for the outcome to reveal itself. If even Lu Jing were to back down now, there would be nothing more to say; he would simply turn around and leave.

After a long while, Lu Jing finally spoke.

"Senior, if time permits, might you grant this Lu a single day?"

"Are you asking for time to consider before deciding?"

Before Lu Jing spoke, Zhuang Lin had actually already foreseen his decision, for the aura of fate around him had gradually taken on a luminous hue. Yet, he deliberately asked with a show of puzzlement.

At these words, Lu Jing shook his head.

"Senior is a man of high virtue and would surely not toy with us. Just as Senior said, even you find it difficult to guarantee life or death, and if I go on this journey, I fear I shall never return...... I still have a modest dwelling and a few plots of farmland in Wuling. I wish to settle those affairs; a single day will be more than enough!"

A smile blossomed on Zhuang Lin's face. Well spoken—a true burning of the boats!

"Very well, I grant it!"

Hearing Lu Jing's words, the other three men seemed to have their heartstrings plucked in succession. Whether driven by lingering excitement or an unwillingness to lose face, they all spoke up once more.

"I have already died once just now; anything further is a bonus! I'm going too!" "Same here!"

"Well said! Besides, we already gave our word earlier. To go back on it now would be a laughingstock!"

A smile appeared on Lu Jing's face as well. These three had originally come merely to repay a favor, but today he found them all the more worthy of deep friendship!

A faint smile touched Zhuang Lin's lips. In truth, which of the four acted from pure, unadulterated resolve and which possessed mixed motivations was completely transparent to his eyes. Words can deceive, but the aura of fate responds directly to the heart. Yet, it was certain that they possessed greater courage and righteousness than ordinary people.

Moreover, the so-called aura of fate was not entirely unalterable!

Having given them a thorough scare, encouragement was naturally indispensable.

Listening to the bold declarations of the four, Zhuang Lin's expression finally grew somewhat solemn. Holding his wooden sword, he cupped his fists in a salute to them all.

"For ten years drinking ice, one struggles to cool a passionate blood. When I set out on this journey, I had no intention of entangling with others, yet having the fortune to make the acquaintance of you four, this righteous energy of heaven and earth has not been in vain......"

Pausing briefly, Zhuang Lin looked at each of them with a calm expression yet an earnest gaze.

"Who says the world lacks chivalry and righteousness? Our kind has not yet vanished from this earth!"

These words seemed to ring directly within their souls. Stirred by Zhuang Lin's declaration, the four felt their emotions surge, and the blood that had cooled due to the inner illusions boiled anew.

"Senior speaks wonderfully!" "Our kind has not yet vanished!"

"Villains and demons are all creatures that harm people; let's just go over and smash the mothers******!"

"Damn it, coming to Wuling this time was the right choice. Even if I die, I'm bound to be a hero!"

"Senior, let's drink!" "Right, come, let's drink! How can there be no wine at a moment like this!"

Excitedly, the men picked up their wine gourds from the ground and invited Zhuang Lin to join them.

Observing them now, Zhuang Lin saw that the aura of fate around all four had turned brilliantly luminous, and a satisfied smile graced his face.

The beauty of human nature lies in its malleability; as long as there is this initial spark of light, who is to say it cannot illuminate the darkness ahead one day?

Of course, this applied only to those of malleable talent!

Naturally, Zhuang Lin had no intention of dampening their spirits. He accepted a freshly unsealed gourd and clinked it against the four.

"Come, let us drink together!"

-----------------

Following this heartfelt exchange, the distance and hesitation between Zhuang Lin and the four men had largely dissolved.

With the leftover side dishes scattered on the ground, the five of them sat together by the river, drinking and conversing freely, much as they had with such fervor that night in the Ten-Mile Pavilion.

"Speaking of which, just now I thought back to the night before last. If not for Senior, had we fought down to the last man, we surely would have fallen victim to that fiend's clutches!"

"You thought that too? My martial arts are no slouch; I wouldn't have gone down before you. Fighting to the last man, I still would have wrestled it to the death!"

"Though I was wounded, fighting with my life on the line, I wouldn't have fallen behind. Fighting to the last man, I'd have had a fair chance of killing it—after all, I had already injured him once......"

"Ah, Brother Lu, it hated you the most and you were in the greatest danger. In my vision, even when I fought to the very last breath, I still failed to protect you......"

As the four chatted among themselves, Zhuang Lin, listening from the side, was caught between laughter and tears.

Although he had initiated the inner illusions, he could not perceive the specific contents of their thoughts; he only knew they were confronting their inner fears.

Yet good grief, every single one of them was convinced that their own martial arts were the most formidable, that they alone were the ones fighting to the bitter end, until they began arguing over it with flushed faces as they drank.

"Senior! You be the judge!"

"Yes, Senior, arbitrate this!"

The four men, who had been arguing just moments before, all turned their gazes simultaneously to Zhuang Lin. The latter paused the motion of bringing his wine gourd to his lips, a profound look flashing in his eyes.

Splendid, truly splendid! Such vivid, untamed personalities!

Very well, this is a fine opportunity to test their foundations!

"Heh, you can argue about supremacy until the cows come home. Since I haven't fully witnessed your martial arts yet, whichever of you claims the crown won't convince the others anyway. If you want a definitive answer......"

The corners of Zhuang Lin's mouth curved upward slightly.

"Wouldn't a spar settle it? It will also give me a chance to witness your true skills!"